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After I complete the certificate program for school administration, I will seek opportunities to serve as an assistant principal at an elementary school.  After spending time serving as an assistant principal, I will then seek opportunities to serve as a principal of an elementary school.

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I met and spoke with Ms. Rhoda Coleman.  Ms. Coleman is the principal of Svante Palm Elementary School in Austin, Texas.  During our conversation, Ms. Coleman identified a number of legal and ethical issues that all principals at elementary schools must consider.

Student Receiving Services for Special Education:  Ms. Coleman explained that there are a number of laws that govern and regulate the services provided to student in special education programs.  These include issues such as complying with documentation procedures, communicating with parents in a timely (legally specified) manner, assuring that there are certified teachers to provided needed services, providing the student with the most appropriate learning environment, etc.

Child Custody:  Ms. Coleman shared that school administrators must be attentive to child custody issues.  Legal custody of a child is something that can change and school administrators must be certain that children are being released to adults with legal rights to take custody of the child.

Privacy and Confidentiality:  Ms. Coleman discussed the ways that modern technology can facilitate communication, but how one needs to be even more attentive to the ways that communication about confidential information is handled.  This applies, for example, to e-mails that might contain sensitive information.  She also mentioned that school administrators still need to attend to “traditional” formats like printed reports that contain student information.  This material, she emphasized, must always be disposed of in a way that protects the students’ privacy.

Bilingual Education:  Ms. Coleman reflected on the number of legal and ethical principles that regulate the services provided for English-language learners.  Some of these included that need to have a parent representatives at meetings of the Language Proficiency Assessment Committee, regular assessment of student progress, respecting the rights of parents to deny bilingual services, and providing English-language learners with a qualified and certified teacher.

Child Abuse:  Ms. Coleman discussed the extreme importance of following all laws that are designed to protect children from abuse.  Whether this abuse is inflicted by a family member or a member of the school staff, that are strict protocols for reporting suspected child abuse.  These protocols must be followed in order to ensure the safety of the child.

(R. Coleman, personal communication, August 22, 2018)

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Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development

School Safety: When I think of school safety, I generally think very narrowly about the rash of gun violence that has dominated the news over the past several years.  However, when reviewing information on this organization’s website, I was reminded of the many issues that school administrators must consider when keeping children safe.  Children’s safety can be compromised by an active shooter, natural disasters, severe weather, or chemical exposures.  School administrators are obligated to be able to establish emergency procedures so that everyone knows what to do in an emergency, adequately assess the level of the threat in the event of a catastrophe, share responsibility in order to more effectively manage the crisis, and plan for how to recover from dangerous situations (ASCD, 2018a).

Special Education: This organization’s website offered a number or resources for special education.  One issue that seemed to appear in a number places (articles, books, webinars) was the practice of inclusion. The website provides a strong reminder that inclusion must be more than simply having a student present in the general education classroom.  For it to be a truly inclusive experience, the student must be included in as much as is possible (e.g., daily schedule, extra-curricular activities, field trips, assemblies, etc.)(ASCD, 2018b).

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Amy Klinger and Amanda Klinger Table of Contents

About the Authors

About This Book

Is your school prepared to deal with a crisis, whether it's a hurricane, an earthquake, an explosion at a nearby chemical facility, an active shooter, or one of many other possibilities? Does your school have an up-to-date plan to deal with hazards of all sorts? Do teachers and other staff members know what to do in emergency situations to protect their students and themselves from harm?

In this informative and comprehensive guide, school safety experts Amy Klinger and Amanda Klinger offer significant-and sometimes surprising-statistics on school safety, dispel common misunderstandings, and provide school leaders with the specific information they need to prepare for and effectively respond to natural disasters, accidents, or violent events.

Readers will learn how and why it is important to

Realistically assess threats and vulnerabilities.

Create and implement an emergency operations plan that follows government guidelines and best practices.

Decentralize authority and responsibility for crisis response.

Distinguish between three levels of "lockdown".

Plan for short- and long-term recovery following an incident.

Make school safety an everyday component of school operations.

At a time when schools at every level and in every community face the possibility of a crisis event, Keeping Students Safe Every Day equips leaders with the knowledge they need to give their students, staff members, parents, and the broader community confidence that their school knows what to do and makes safety a top priority.
See the book's table of contents and read excerpts
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Aboutthe Authors

Amy Klinger is a nationally recognized expert on school safety and crisis management. She has more than 28 years of experience in public education as a teacher, an elementary and secondary principal, and a central office administrator.
Read more

Amanda Klinger is a nationally recognized expert on school safety and crisis management. She conducts ongoing research on threats and incidents of violence in schools and frequently appears on or is interviewed by national media outlets on topics related to violence prevention, crisis response, and school safety.
Read more

Transformational leadership

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Keeping Students Safe Every Day: How to Prepare for and Respond to School Violence, Natural Disasters, and Other Hazards

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Amy Klinger and Amanda Klinger Table of Contents About the Authors Is your school prepared to deal with a crisis, whether it's a hurricane, an earthquake, an explosion at a nearby chemical facility, an active shooter, or one of many other possibilities? Does your school have an up-to-date plan to deal with hazards of all sorts?

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National Education Association

Encouraging Political Action:  When reviewing the material on this organization’s website, I was surprised to see a very direct call on readers to take direct action to oppose the appointment of a current candidate for a seat on the Supreme Court of the United States.  I have grown so accustomed to the professional need to remain politically neutral, this direct call to action was quite surprising.  The organization claims that Brett Kavanaugh, the current nominee awaiting congressional approval to join the Supreme Court, would not stand for the best interests of students or teachers (National Education Association, 2018a).

Students and Immigration Law:  There was an important article regarding immigration raids.  This is timely given the heightened tension regarding immigration.  The article explore the emotional and cognitive impact on students when their parents are apprehended during immigration raids.  Readers are encouraged to consider ways to support children who are forced to endure these traumatic experiences (National Education Association, 2018b).

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For many of America's most vulnerable students, the newest round of immigration raids by the Department of Homeland Security is not just news but the stuff of nightmares.

Support your students by sharing United We Dream's "Know Your Rights" flier. Click here ›

"My students are terrified they'll come home to an empty house or snatched up when they come to school," says Utah middle school teacher Chelsie Helton, whose worst fears were realized when one of her students didn't show up for school week before last.

Connecting with her student on Facebook, Helton learned the 11-year-old had been devastated when his father was taken from their home in the middle of the night. The start of a new year and school semester has coincided with an aggressive deportation campaign by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) targeting recent refugees who've received their final removal orders, many of them single mothers and children seeking asylum from horrific violence in Central America.

The nationwide raids are sending shockwaves through a population of students who already suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder, anxiety, and depression. As deportation fears rise, some schools are reporting a drop in attendance.

Helton, who says the raids have reopened traumatic wounds for her students, was heartbroken when one of her students cried through an entire class period. "Her father was taken six years ago and she hasn't seen him since. Now she's scared she'll lose her mother too. It's a PTSD moment for my students. The fear is unbelievable."

Educators across the country are telling similar stories of students who live in a constant state of terror that manifests as chronic illness, panic attacks, and low self-confidence.

Concerned educators and immigration advocates are doing what they can to help students and their families through the trauma caused by the latest raids. Hundreds of educators and school administrators sent a formal letter to DHS denouncing home raids, some of which have been conducted without warrants or consent.

NEA is working with members on an information campaign to help educate members about the current situation and what they can do to support and protect their students.

Member activists are working with NEA partner United We Dream to circulate their "know your rights" flier and other resources telling families what to do if ICE agents come to their homes. And Dreamers are posting videos to warn families when ICE trucks are seen in their neighborhoods.
Meanwhile, educators who are on the front lines are trying to do their jobs while reassuring frightened students.

Chelsie Helton and her student both broke down when he returned to class after being out a week. "Before this happened, he was stepping out of his comfort zone, contributing in class, and doing better in school. Now his world is shattered. He's afraid they're going to come and take his mom too, and I'm afraid he'll lose all the progress he's made in school."

As someone who grew up 45 minutes from the border, Helton says she understands immigration politics but "when you're a teacher and 65 percent of your kids are Latino, you wonder when you walk into class who's going to be missing today and who's going to be in tears. Physical deportation is bad enough, but the kids left behind are undergoing mental, emotional, and spiritual deportation."

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Students are collateral damage in immigration raids - NEA EdJustice

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For many of America's most vulnerable students, the newest round of immigration raids by the Department of Homeland Security is not just news but the stuff of nightmares. Support your students by sharing United We Dream's "Know Your Rights" flier.

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Step 3:  Interest:  Immigration, Families, and Students

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Step 3:  Interest:  Immigration, Families, and Students

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This issues is particularly important to me as there are many students who are unsure what their future holds given the immigration status of their parents. I would like clarity regarding the duties and rights of a school administrator when a child's legal guardians are facing deportation.

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Olivos, E. M. & Mendoza, M. (2010). Immigration and educational inequality: examining Latino immigrant parents’ engagement in U.S. public schools. Journal of Immigrant & Refugee Studies, 8(3), 339-357.

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"Your Students and Immigration Raids: What You Can Do," National Education Association

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Step 5:  Reflection: Immigration, Families, and Students

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Step 5:  Reflection: Immigration, Families, and Students

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In the last two decades, the United States has reported having more foreign-born residents than at any other point in the nation's history.  Immigrants from Latin-American countries have accounted for the majority of those foreign-born residents.  Many foreign-born residents report living in what are called mixed-status households in which people with different immigration statuses live together.  In many cases, children enrolled in public schools have parents who are undocumented immigrants and are subject to raids by immigration authorities.  An increase in activity by federal immigration authorities can affect children's school performance and can negatively shape the family's perception of the child's welcome in the school (Olivos & Mendoza, 2010).
Schools must be aware of the many ways that they are expected to protect a child's right to privacy (even a child who is an undocumented immigrant).  Both education records and personal information are protected and may not be disclosed without parental consent (Olivos & Mendoza, 2010).  The National Education Association (NEA) reminds teachers and school leaders that they are in a position to remind children and families of their rights (in some cases, families may not even be aware of their rights).  Further, the NEA recommends that schools establish clear protocols and procedures for when the school is approached by federal immigration agents.  The NEA is also careful to warn teachers and school leaders that they are first educators and explicit advocacy work should not be engaged during official duty hours (National Education Association, 2016).
As an aspiring school administrator, this issue is one that I will address in the future.  The laws, policies, and practices relevant to immigration have evolved over time and will continue to change.  It will be my responsibility to keep informed regarding the rights of my students (and their families), the expectations of educators, and limits of my authority.  By remaining informed, I will be in the best position to serve and protect the children in my care.

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ASCD. (2018a). Books. Retrieved on August 25, 2018, from http://www.ascd.org/Publications/Books/Overview/Keeping-Students-Safe-Every-Day.aspx

ASCD. (2018). Topics:  Inclusion and special education. Retrieved on August 25, 2018, from http://www.ascd.org/research-a-topic/inclusion-and-special-education-resources.aspx

National Education Agency. (2016). Your students and immigration raids: What you can do.  Retrieved on August 25, 2018, from https://www.nea.org/assets/docs/ice-raids-fact-sheet-1.pdf

National Education Agency. (2018a). Legislative Action Center. Retrieved on August 23, 2018, from http://edadvocacy.nea.org/app/write-a-letter?3&engagementId=486593

National Education Agency. (2018b). Students are collateral damage in immigration raids. Retrieved on August 25, 2018, from https://neaedjustice.org/2016/01/23/students-are-collateral-damage-in-immigration-raids/

Olivos, E. M. & Mendoza, M. (2010). Immigration and educational inequality: examining Latino immigrant parents’ engagement in U.S. public schools. Journal of Immigrant & Refugee Studies, 8(3), 339-357.